Okay, I get it, Mania is heckin legit with a fantastic OST and a gameplay style we've been missing for years and a gorgeous improved "retro" style with a vibrant palette and fantastic creative re-imagined level design. Trust me, I'm hyped about Mania too, can't wait to get a Switch so I can play it.

BUT

CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT SONIC FORCES

BECAUSE I EARNESTLY BELIEVE THIS GAME IS GONNA BE THE MIX OF MEMES AND LEGIT QUALITY, IRONY AND UNIRONY, SELF AWARENESS AND YOLO, ON THE PART OF SONIC TEAM, THAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

First off...... your fricken OC Donut Steel is canon now. They actually went and put everyone's DA characters in the game, the absolute madmen. This is honestly the most brilliant move ST has pulled in a WHILE: a big risk, one that's demonstratively very aware of what people think of their franchise, but also one that they've put good thought into implementing.

And it's smart, because people have been simultaneously complaining that Sonic doesn't have enough variety in play styles (like in the Adventure games), and that the Adventure games suck and Sonic games should have a more defined gameplay focus.

The custom character gets a choice of 3 different wispons, and you can see playing through this stage with all of them how the stage changes with each:

I think this is brilliant, honestly. There's replay value in trying out different wispons without it being the same experience. Also, there is a lot more 3D in these environments than I was fearing - it's still somewhat linear, but when you think about it all the early game Adventure stages were relatively linear too and this is only the third stage in the game. Plus Sonic games are linear to an extent by nature. (That said there are a couple different paths through this stage so I'm hoping it'll feel fun and in-control platforming wise.) This gameplay actually looks really fun and I'm excited to try it out; it's like they took the good ideas from Sonic Heroes and built on them.

This bodes well honestly, I really want to play this game.

Also the story is exactly the kind of bordering-on-edgy-taking-itself-somewhat-seriously, kind-of-cheesy-but-you-can-buy-into-it-if-you-want **** that I love so much in all of my favorite titles. Getting some "my name is Shadow and I'm the Ultimate Weapon" Cool Bad Guy vibes with Infinite again and I'm stoked for it. Another I'm 13 and this is Dark Sonic Story? YES PLEASE, SIGN ME UP, I HAVE BEEN MISSING THIS.

I'm getting really excited, guys. I'm as disappointed as the next guy that Tails and other fun 3D characters aren't playable, but for what this game is it looks great. And at least the main cast is involved in the plot, even if it's just as "kssshhhhh - Knuckles reporting in, over".

Still a bit apprehensive about the inclusion of Classic Sonic, but eh, if they make it good I won't complain.

[aside, can we talk about that song about STAANDING UNIIITED that plays during the Double Boost because those are some Escape from the City lyrics and I am SOOOOOO HERE FOR IT. NEW ICONIC SONIC SONG PLEASE]

Yo this game looks fire. Its plot is ~dark and edgy~ in a way I have been craving for YEARS. I've seen a ton of leaks about avatar customization that look INCREDIBLE and that alone looks like a great reason to buy the game. All of the revealed OST tracks are lit. People constantly complain about boost gameplay but I recently bought Colors and think it's fun as hell and Forces looks like an improvement on it if anything. I've heard from people who got it early that the visual aspect of level design is great, which is another thing I really loved about Colors. Literally everything about this game looks sick my peeps

My only complaint is no hub world to dick around in but that's apparently never going to happen again ever so I guess I'll just have to deal with that.

This is the best modern Sonic game I've played in a LOOOOONG ass while, friends.

The avatar customization options are ABSOLUTELY BONKERS. I was excited about it but my dudes there is some crazy **** there. You actually have an incentive to S-rank levels because the better you do the more swag you get for your dude. (I had a friend compare this to the chao gardens in Adventure and I think that's really apt. It's a ridiculously fun and frivolous reason to go back and re play levels ad Infinitum.)

The gameplay is all really fun. There are a lot of branching pathways too; only criticism is it features a lot more 2D gameplay than 3D so far but I've genuinely enjoyed every level and boss. Different wispons are a lot of fun to experiment with, too. I love the different play styles but they're all similar enough it doesn't feel too jarring to swap characters.

Story is tryhard edgy as expected and there are no complaints from me about that. The dialogue is a bit cheesier than I hoped for but like whatever man, I can dig the "EGGMAN TOOK OVER ALL IS LOST US VS THE IMPOSSIBLE ODDS" narrative. Story isn't its main selling point imo but Infinite is still a cool villain and the level design that SETS the story is top notch.

I literally have no idea what half of the internet has their panties in a bunch about. This game is FUN. It feels polished, if short - but with hells of replay value imo - and the Avatar was a damn great idea. If I were a kid now this would ABSOLUTELY be the Sonic game I would grow up with like I did SA2, building avatars and comparing with my siblings.

It's a lot of fun. I would say 8/10, and I'm only about a third of the way through. I bought a Switch for this game and I have zero regrets.

(Oh and OST is jammin' obvi. I love the cheesy double boost theme so much.)

E: also u can wear dresses as a dude OC so basically best goddamn video game ever made

The OST is FIRE. The avatar system is the single greatest idea Sonic Team has ever had. The visuals are gorgeous. The levels are fun. The final boss's final form is so damn incredible I don't even care that its other ones sucked. Infinite was a really cool villain. Wispons are so much fun to experiment with and give it a lot of replay value. The story was fine, I'm glad they decided to go Dark and Serious again. Double Boost was hype. Fist Bump is the best Sonic song fight me. YOUR OC CAN HAVE A MUSTACHE, BLUE ANIME BANGS, A SUIT OF ARMOR, AND CROCS.

Literally...... this is the Sonic game I've been waiting for for, like, years. Multiple gameplay styles and new creative ideas, and they're all actually fun this time and give you room to experiment. I... I literally don't know why the consensus is "mediocre/bad." This game is FUN?? It's so fun! I haven't had this much FUN playing a Sonic game since LITERALLY ADVENTURE 1&2, and this game is MORE FUN THAN THOSE because it's not unplayable broken.

****, y'all. I'm so happy. I'm so HAPPY THAT THIS GAME EXISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!